Weaver&#39;s knotter



Oct. 31, 1939. c. E. WHITE 2,178,460

WEAVER S KNOTTER Filed Jan. 15, 1958 4 Sheets -Sh'eet 1 1 :LFZ I; 2, 61 5:

t. 31, 1939. (LE. WHITE 2,1?

WEAVER S KNOTTER Filed Jan. 15', 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ga. 33, 1939. c. E. WHITE ZWSAW WEAVER S KNOTTER Filed Jan. 15, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 @ct. 31 1939, c. E. WHETE WEAVERS KNCTTER Filed Jan. 15, 1938 4 Shasta-Shem 4 INVENTOR Patented Get. 31, 1939 WEAVERS KNOTTER Applicationdanuary 15, 1538, Serial No. 185,174

21 Claims.

This invention relates to knotting implements,

and is more especially concerned with that type of knotting apparatus commonly known as a weavers knotter. It will be herein disclosed as embodied in a knotter of the general construction shown anddescribed in Letters Patent No. 2,071,525, granted February 27, 1937, although it will be understood that some of the features of the invention are equally applicable to knotting mechanisms of other kinds. The invention aims to improve these lmotting mechanisms with a View to making them more reliable in operation, less expensive tomanufacture, and easier for the weaver or other operator to use. I

In the implement shown in the patent above designated, as also in other types of knotters, an important requisite to satisfactory operation is maintenance of the correct degree oftension on the threads which are being tied together. In prior knotters this has required a skillful adjustment of those devices which apply such tension to the threads. It is an important object of this invention so to improve these devices as to greatly reduce the care and skill required in making these adjustments and, in fact, to eliminate much of the necessity which has formerly existedfor such adjustment.

The invention also involves improvements in cutting devices, in the bill assembly, and in other features of these mechanisms. as will later appear.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of a knotter embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view approximately on the line 22, Fig. 1; l

3 is an elevation of the opposite side of the apparatus from that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevation, with some parts in section, illustrating novel features of the thread cutting mechanism and the means for operating the same;

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of the implement;

Fig. 5a is a diagrammatic view showing approximately the relationship of the parts after the knot has been tied and just prior to cutting the waste. threads;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view approximately on the line 6-6, Fig. 3;

a portion of the cutting mechanism above referred to;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal, sectional view approximately on the line' 8--8, Fig. 3;

Figs. 9 and 10 are side and edge views, respectively, of the bill structure;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view through said structure illustrating the manner in which the thread is first clamped and subsequently cut in the-bill;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the end portion of the bill cutter; and

Fig. 13 is a side view of a part of this member.

The drawings illustrate the invention as embodied in a knotter of the general construction shown in the patent above designated, and the operation of the instrument shown will be best understood by a reading of said patent. So far as those features common to the instrument shown in the patent and that disclosed in this application areconcerned, only a brief description is necessary. In order to facilitate an understanding'of the relationship between the two instruments, the parts common to them have been designated in the drawings by the same numerals used in the patent.

The knotter shown comprises a support It), to which the usual hand strap (not shown) is-secured, and a frame 13 mounted on this support and carrying a'pivot stud I2 on which the quadrant i lis mounted to swing, this quadrant being provided with theusual thumb piece or trigger i l Meshing with the teeth of the quadrant is a bill screw ll, Fig. l, on the forward end of which is formed the knotting bill Hi. This bill, and the parts cooperating with it to form the bill assembly, are, of a similar nature to those described in the patent abovementioned, but also involve important improvements. So far as the knot tying functions are concerned, its operation is essentially like that described in the patent. At the right-hand. side of the instrument as ordinarily held in the hand, a plate 28, best shown in Fig. 3, ismounted on the frame l3 for limited backward and forward movement. Near its forward end this side plate is provided with two slots 32 and 33 which are separated by a thread guiding horn or extension 35 integral with the plate. The threads to be united are positioned in and guided by these slotsduring the knotting operation. At the opposite side of the instrument a swinging arm 36, Figs. 1 and 5, is supported parallel to the late .28 and is pivoted on a pin or post 31 to swing toward and from the bill. Normally it is held at the inward limit of its movement by Fig. '7 is a horizontal, sectional View through I means of a coiled spring 38, Fig. 2. This arm also carries thread clamping members for holding the two threads to be united, and this arrangement may be like that shown in the patent above designated. It includes a slide 45, Figs. 1 and 5, mounted on the inner side of the arm 36 to reciprocate longitudinally thereon, and members mounted on the arm and cooperating with it to grip the threads yieldingly. The forward or thread clamping movement of this slide occurs at an early stage in the knotting operation and is produced by an internal cam on the quadrant [4 operating on a roll 80 carried by the lever 53, Fig. 2, the left-hand end of this lever normally lying directly under the pin 5!, Fig. 5, so that as it swings upwardly on its pivot screw 56, it acts through the pin to move the slide forward and thus to clamp the threads. A spring returns it to its initial position when released by the lever.

So far as the features above described are concerned, the present construction resembles very closely that shown and described in the patent above designated, and reference may be made thereto for a more detailed description of the construction and operation of these parts. Those members designated by the reference numerals up to and including the numeral 55 correspond, in general,to like members designated by the same numerals in the patent, there being some minor differences in details of construction of the parts.

An understanding of the various features of the present invention will be facilitated by a brief statement of operation of the knotter. At the beginning of this operation the two threads to be tied together are guided across the instrument from left to right, as it appears in Fig. 5, with the two threads in a more or less parallel relationship and entered, respectively, in the two thread guiding slots of the swinging arm and in the two slots 32 and 33 of the side plate 28. The two horns 35 and 51, similar to those shown in the patent, assist in guiding these threads into their proper positions and down upon the neck of the bill l8, which at this time is in a vertical position. As the thumb piece H is depressed, the quadrant I4 is swung forward, thus rotating the bill. It makes slightly more than two complete revolutions during which it ties the knot, and cuts one end in the bill. At about the time that the bill completes its second revolution, the arm 36 is swung outwardly through the action of the cam 23, Fig. 2, on the roll 52, Fig. 5, as explained in said patent and in the Cook Patent No. 1,974,846, also referred to in the former. This pulls up and tightens the knot. As the swinging movement of the arm progresses, the bill also rotates down into approximately a horizontal position, so that after the knot has been tightened the arm. pulls the knot off the bill. It is pulled up and tightened around a post 65, Fig. 5a, and while so held the threads 12 and z to be discarded, and both of which have formerly been guided through the slots 32 and 33, are out between the post and the bill, all as explained more in detail in Patent No. 2,071,525.

During the knot tying operation, it is highly desirable to maintain substantially a uniform degree of tension on both of the threads guided through the slots 32 and 33. Also, it is desirable to maintain a substantial degree of tension on the thread 2, Fig. 5a, while the knot is being pulled up and tightened. In prior constructions it has been necessary to adjust the tension for different sizes and often-times, also, for different kinds of yarn, rayon yarn, for example, requiring more tension or drag than a cotton yarn of the same size. As above indicated, this matter of adjusting tensions properly has required a,considerable degree of care and skill, and it is one of the objects of this invention to eliminate much of the labor involved in this operation and to reduce very materially the necessity for any adjustment of the thread tensioning devices.

To this end I have equipped the side plate 28 with a tension plate 50, best shown in. Figs. 3 and 8, the latter being loosely mounted on the outer side of the plate 28 where it overlies the slots 32 and 33 and the adjacent portions of the outer face of said plate across which the threads 1 and z are guided. This tension plate is pressed yieldin ly against the side plate by a light spring which is positioned at the inner side of the plate 28 where it is entirely out of the way of the threads and the operating mechanism. A pin or stud 6! extends freely or loosely through both plates and is provided with a head at its outer end and with a hole at its inner end through which the end of the spring 62 projects. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the end portion of this spring extends downwardly away from the pin and then is bent to run horizontally back toward the frame, passes through a hole in a bracket 63 secured to the inner side of the plate, and then is bent to extend upwardly, terminating in a tip or end portion which projects backwardly through any one of several holes 54 in an arm 63 of said bracket. In other words, this spring is bent approximately into a U-shape with one leg much shorter than the other, and the longer leg being provided with an outwardly bent end to enter one of the holes 54. It will thus be evident that any outward movement of the plate 60 will bend the adjacent leg of this spring outwardly, and that this action will be resisted by the inherent resiliency of the spring. The pressure so exerted by the spring on the tension plate can be adjusted by placing the end of the spring in holes 64 nearer to. or farther from, the plate 28. By referring to Fig. 5 it will be evident that if the end of this spring is moved into the extreme left-hand hole 54, the force with which it presses the tension plate 6!] against the outer face of the side plate 28, or against the threads interposed between these members, as shown in Fig. 8, will be increased, while the opposite effect will be produced if the adjustment is made in the opposite direction. The plate is held loosely in its operative position, partly by the pin SI and partly, also, by a second pin 66, Figs. 3 and 5, located above the first pin. Thus when two threads are slipped into the slots 32 and 33, as shown in Fig. 8, they move the lower margin of the plate outwardly and it is then supported at three points: namely, at or near the pin 66 and on the two threads. Thus it adjusts itself automatically to the thickness of these threads and pinches both against the side plate with substantially the same degree of pressure. Also, the

arrangement is such that the tension or drag so applied to the threads is not changed materially with a reasonable variation in the size of the yarns or threads being operated upon. Preferably the entire inner margin of the plate 6!! is bevelled to facilitate the entrance of the threads between it and the side plate. Inasmuch as the adjustment of the spring 62 to change the pressure which it exerts on the plate can be made almost instantly and by anyone at all familiar with mechanical devices, the need for any subtions.

stantial degree of skill in making this adjustment is eliminated.

The shears or cutters which sever the threads between the knot and the bill and the mechanism for operating them also has been improved. In prior constructions the quadrant has operated the shears to cut the threads and a spring has returned them to their normal or inactive posi- This means that the pressure applied to the thumb piece must not only be sufiicient to revolve the bill and to actuate the cutters to cause them to sever the thread, but also to overcome the load imposed by the spring. To this also is added the resistance of the spring which returns the quadrant to its original position after operation. The present invention provides a construction which permits a smoother and easier operation of the cutters in both directions and eliminates the necessity for a spring to hold them open.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the shears or cutters til and 68 are mounted on a lever ill which is fulcrumed on one of the side members of the frame it at ll. The blade 67 is secured to this lever to swing in unison with it by means of a screw 12 and a pivot pin 13 on which the blade 68 swings. The latter blade has a tail piece it projecting freely through a slot in the end piece of a guard plate l5, Fig. 5, which is secured to the side of the frame member i3. Normally this cutter mechanism occupies substantially the'position in which it appears chiefly in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the quadrant is .swung forward, however, a pin it projecting from one side of this quadrant engages a bent-out lug H, Figs. 2, 4 and 7, on the lever '48, and as it continues to move forward it swings this lever in a clockwise direction, Fig. 4, thus lifting the pivot pin 13 and closing the shears or cutters. As this action occurs the blades rise, while at the same time the bill is moving downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 5, so that the threads are carried into the shears while they advance to meet the threads.

After the shears have been completely closed they remain or dwell in this position while the quadrant swings backwardly, until a horn i8, Fig. 4, on the quadrant it recedes far enough to engage the roll 81 on the lifter lever 53, previously referred to. This lever is provided with a curved forward end 8! which rises immediately in front of the part Ti and, as the quadrant recedes, operates through this connection to swing the lever H3 back to its initial position,- thus returning the shears to their inactive positions.

The blades cl and 58 of the shears or cutters, instead of being sprung slightly, as is usual in constructions of this kind in order to make the shearing edges bear firmly against each other continuously throughout the cutting operation, are here made flat. They are pressed against each other and thus maintained in proper shear 'ing relationship by means of a flat Figs. 4 and 7, one end of this spring being secured under the head of the screw l2 and the other end being held in its operative position by the pivot stud it.

The feature just described, together with the elimination of the spring and the positive operaton of the shears in both directions by the quadrant, produces a smooth operating cutting mechanism and one which requires less eifort for its actuation. In addition, the fact that the shears dwell in their closed positions for an instant is of advantage in operating on some yarns which are sufficiently stiff to produce some tendency to spring back inwardly away from the post 65 and thus become pinched between the lever 18 and the frame, or to become otherwise entangled in the mechanism. The shears block such undesirable inward movement of the threads and thus contribute to greater reliability in the operation of the instrument.

The invention also involves improvements in the bill assembly. One of these improvements consists in the application of the same idea em bodied in the cutter mechanism above described. The usual bill structure comprises a bill end, which is customarily integral with the bill screw this end having a flat face upon which two cutters or shears are mounted. These shears also are customarily made with a spring or slight bow toward each other so that their edges willalways be held in shearing relationship to each other as the movable blade is swung by the bill The angle at which these blades bear on each other introduces a very considerable degree of resist ance to the operation of the shears and hence to the rotation of the bill. In order to overcome this difiiculty, I make the cutter blades 83 and 8% flat and support them one upon the other, and both upon the flat face of the bill 53, by means of a pivot stud 85. The inner of these blades 33 is equipped with the usual tail piece 85 for engaging the bill cam, and is mounted on said pivot to swing. The other blade 8 however, is stationary and for this reason is provided with a shank which extends backwardly into a slot 81', Fig. 16, formed in the shank of the bill. Mounted immediately beside and against the latter blade is a leaf spring 88 which also is held a stationary position on the bill by means of the pivot 85 and a shank which extends backwardly into said slot. With this arrangement, therefore, the excessive friction of one blade over another, which is char-- acteristic of the prior arrangement, is eliminated and the blades operate easily, while at the same time being held in the correct shearing relationship to each other by the spring 83 acting on the stationary blade 84.

In tying some threads, particularly rayon threads or yarn, much difiiculty is eXpe enced with prior constructions in holding the thread securely in the bill. This is due to the fact that a rayon thread is composed of relatively number of exceedingly fine filaments twisted together. If the bill does not hold a l of the filaments, those not held may not be drawn through the loop, and consequently will be outside the knot. They will be loose, will present an un-- satisfactory appearance, and will later produce a flaw in the fabric. 1' have found t at this difficulty can be overcome by the arrangement shown in Figs. 9 to 13 and more especially in the last three figures. It will be seen particularly from an inspection of Figs. 9 11, that the upper or forward edge of the stationary blade is located considerably behind or below the co-responding edge b of the bill. This extension of the margin of the flat face of the bill beyond the edge of the cutter may conveniently be made thirty or forty-- thousandths of an inch in width or, "1 ome cases, even more. With such a construction, when the movable blade 83 of the shears swung forw y to cut the thread, its dull edge u, ll, :1 es

the thread t and wipes it inwardly over this exholding the thread to grip it securely and to ensure that all the filaments will be incorporated into the knot.

The grip of the bill assembly on the thread may be further increased by notching or grooving the clamping face of the cutter blade 83, as shown at c in Figs. 12 and 13. These teeth or ridges preferably are undercut so that they slant backward y toward the pivot 35 and lie transversely of the length of the bill end approximately tangent to circles concentric with the pivot 65. They are made relatively small, their size being much eX- aggerated in Figs. 12 and 13, but they cooperate with the movable bill end E8 in clamping the thread securely in the bill. When knotting heavy threads they are especially useful.

In addition to the foregoing, the knotter shown comprises a bill cam 90, Figs. 5 and 6, of a novel form which lends itself to very economical methods of manufacture. It consists of a base secured to the front end of the frame l3 by screws 9l-9|, this base being provided with an integral cam tube for acting on the tail piece 86 of the movable blade 83. One side of the tubular member preferably is cut away and the tube is made somewhat elliptical in form, as required for the purpose of actuating the bill cutter at the proper points in its revolution.

While all of the features above described are capable of conjoint use and preferably are so used, nevertheless they can be used independently. Also, while I have herein shown and described preferred embodiments of the various features of my invention, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. In a weavers knotter, the combination of knot typing devices and means for holding the threads to be tied together by said devices comprising a guide for one of the threads, a loose plate cooperating with said guide to apply tension to said thread, and a spring acting on said plate to pinch the thread between said plate and said guide.

2. In a weavers knotter, the combination of knot tying devices and means for holding the threads to be tied together by said devices comprising a member provided with a thread guiding slot, a loosely supported plate overlying said slot and overlapping the surface of said member adjacent to said slot, whereby the thread may be guided between said plate and said member during the knot tying operation, and a spring acting on said plate to pinch said thread between said member and the plate.

3. In a weavers knotter, the combination of knot tying devices and means for holding the threads to be tied together by said devices comprising a member provided with a thread guiding slot, a plate overlying said slot and overlapping the surface of said member adjacent to said slot, whereby the thread may be guided between said plate and said member during the knot tying operation, and a spring at the side of said member opposite to said plate and connected with said plate to apply pressure to it serving to pinch said thread against said member.

a. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying devices, of means for gripping the threads to hold them for the knot tying operation, said means comprising a part provided with two thread guiding slots, a plate mounted in position to bear on the threads extending through said slots, and a spring located out of the way of said threads and acting on said plate at a point between its points of engagement with the threads to pinch them between said part and said plate.

5. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying devices, of means for gripping the threads to hold them for the knot tying operation, said means comprising a part provided with two thread guiding slots, a plate covering the thread guiding ends of said slots and overlapping the adjacent lateral surface of said part across which said threads are drawn, means supporting said plate loosely in said position, and a spring acting on said plate to grip the threads between said plate and said lateral surface.

6. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying devices, of means for gripping the threads to hold them for the knot tying operation, said means comprising a part provided with two thread guiding slots, 2. plate loosely mounted in position to bear on the threads extending through said slots so that it may adjust itself to the thickness of said threads, and a spring acting on said plate to press it against said threads and to press them against said surface.

'7. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying devices, of means for gripping the threads to hold them for the knot tying operation, comprising a side plate provided with two thread guiding slots, a tension plate loosely mounted on the outer side of said side plate to bear on the threads extending through said slots. a spring at the inner side of said side plate, and means connecting said spring with said tension plate to apply pressure to the latter in a direction to pinch the threads between said plates.

8. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying devices, of means for gripping the threads to hold them for the knot tying operation, comprising a side plate provided with two thread guiding slots, a tension plate at the outer side of said side plate where it partially covers said slots, means supporting said tension plate loosely in said position, a spring acting on said tension plate at a point between said slots to press it upon the threads and thereby to pinch them against the other plate, and means supporting said spring at a distance from said point and for adjustment to vary the pressure exerted by it on the tension plate.

9. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying instrumentalities including means for tying together two threads and drawing up the knot, said means including guides for the threads and a revolving bill, of cutters associated with said guides to sever both threads between the bill and the knot, an actuating element for revolving said bill, and connections between said element and said cutters for operating the latter both to cause them to out the threads and also to return them to their inactive positions after performing said cutting operation.

10. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying instrumentalities including means for tying together two threads and drawing up the knot, said means including guides for the threads and a revolving bill, of cutters associated with said guides to sever both threads between the bill and the knot, a quadrant for revolving said bill, said quadrant being mounted for forward and backward swinging movement,

ill

connections arranged to be actuated by the quadrant during its forward swing to operate said cutters to sever the threads, and additional connections arranged to be actuated by said quadrant during its backward swing to return said thread cutting devices to their inactive positions.

11. A weavers knotter according to preceding claim 10, in which said cutter actuating connections comprises a lever mounted to be rocked in one direction by said quadrant, an additional lever operable on the first lever to rock the latter in the opposite direction, and a cam element carried by said quadrant for operating said second lever.

12. In a knotter, a bill structure comprising a bill, two cutter blades mounted on one side of said bill in laterally overlapped relationship and provided with cooperating edges for cutting a thread held by the bill assembly, one of said blades being pivoted, and a spring holding said blades pressed laterally and yieldingly into cooperative relationship to each other and to said bill.

13. In a knotter, a bill structure comprising a bill provided with a flat-sided end portion, two cutter blades mounted on the fiat side of said bill and provided with cooperating edges for cutting a thread held by the bill assembly, one of said Blades being movable and having a tail portion adapted to be engaged by an actuating element, and a spring carried by the bill and pressing said blades laterally against each other and holding the inner blade against the fiat face of said bill.

14. In a knotter, a bill structure comprising a bill provided with a fiat-sided end portion, two fiat cutting blades mounted one upon the other on the flat side of said bill, said blades being provided with bevelled edges operable to cut a thread held by the bill assembly, one of said blades being pivoted on the bill and in direct contact with said face and having a tail portion adapted to be engaged by an actuating member, and a flat spring bearing against the other blade and pressing it laterally against the pivoted blade and also pressing the latter against the flat face of said bill.

15. A bill structure according to preceding claim 14, in which the outer end portions of said blades and said spring are held in alinement with each other by the pivot on which said movable blade swings.

16. A bill structure according to preceding claim 14, in which the shank portions of both said spring and the blade against which it bears are located in a slot provided in the shank portion of the bill.

17. In a knotter, a bill structure comprising a bill provided with a fiat-sided end portion, a cutter blade pivoted on said bill and lying against its flat face, a second cutter blade at the oppo site side of the first blade from the bill and cooperating with the first blade to cut a thread held by the bill assembly, the cutting edge of said secondblade being spaced from the forward edge of the bill to provide a substantial width of the flat face of the bill across which the pivoted blade forces the thread and against which it clamps the thread before it cuts the thread against the edge of said second blade.

18. In a knotter, a bill structure comprising a bill, a cutter blade pivotally mounted on said bill, said blade and bill having opposed flat faces approximately perpendicular to the axis on which the blade swings, said faces cooperating to clamp a thread between them, and said face on one of said parts being provided with teeth extending across the face and slanted away from the direction of external pull on the thread.

19. In a knotter, a bill structure comprising a bill, a cutter blade pivoted on said bill, said blade and bill having opposed flat faces approximately perpendicular to the axis on which the blade swings, said faces cooperating to clamp a thread between them, and said face on said blade having grooves extending across its end portion transversely thereof and'separated by sharp edged ridges, said ridges lying approximately tangent, respectively, to circles centered on the pivot for the blade.

20. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying devices, of means for gripping the threads to hold them for the knot tying operation, comprising a side plate provided with two thread guiding slots to receive the respective threads, tensioning means loosely mounted at the outer side of said side plate for engaging said threads and pressing them against the side plate, and means for yieldingly pressing said tensioning means upon the threads and thereby holding them against the side plate.

21. In a weavers knotter, the combination with knot tying devices, of means for gripping the threads to hold them for the knot tying operation, said means comprising a part provided with two thread guiding slots to receive the respective threads, a thread tensioning plate positioned to overlie the lateral surface of said part adjacent to said slots and across which surface said threads are drawn, means supporting said plate loosely in said position at an intermediate point therein so that said threads may be inserted between it and said surface at opposite sides of said supporting means, and a spring acting on said plate to press it yieldingly against said threads and thereby to press the threads against said lateral surface.

CHARLES E. WHITE. 

